Make A Claim

Hail Damage to Roofs

In Minnesota a person has 2 years from the date of the storm to file a claim with their insurance company.

The impact of hail will loosen shingles or cause granular lossage. Additionally, it may also fracture the bonding agents of your asphalt shingles. If the hail is large enough, it could break your underlayment or felting.

The granules protect the asphalt matting of your shingles from sunlight and ultra violet light (U.V.). The asphalt will deteriorate very quickly once exposed to the sun. This is the reason a hail-damaged roof will prematurely fail. This is why insurance companies will pay to replace your roof Siding, or gutters.

Hail damaged roofs may or may not show up immediately as visual damage to an inexperienced observer. Heavy hail damage is obvious because of the indentations in the shingle. When the surface damage of the shingle is not visible, look for indentations on all vents, ridge vents, siding or any other soft metal objects that may show impact points. Also look for granule lossadge; you will see the granules from your shingles on your hard surfaces around the house or spilling out of your gutter downspouts.

The effects on a shingle may not be apparent for about a year. At this time, circular areas of granules will fall off the shingle. What has occurred is the impact of the hailstone has broken or weakened the bond between the granules and the asphalt. After a year or so of weathering, the granules fall off the shingle in the circular area of impact. With granules missing, the sunlight (UV) will damage the asphalt and the maximum performance of the shingle will be compromised. Damage from a hailstorm will void the shingles manufacturer’s warranty, as they cannot warranty against “Acts of God” such as hailstorms.

How the Claims Process Works

Evaluate

It is best to first have one of Roofs R Us, Claims Specialists have a look at your property to get a full evaluation of the extent of the damages. We never want to file a claim unless we are certain that there is damage to your home or building. There are no costs or obligations for us to examine your property.

File the Claim

Next, if Roofs R Us recommends it, we will assist you in filing the claim with your homeowner’s insurance company. This is a simple step of calling the claims number on your policy and giving them the details of the claim.

Meeting the Adjuster

The next step in the process is that the insurance company will schedule an appointment to send out their adjuster to estimate the damages. Our Claims Specialist will be your representative in meeting the adjuster at your property to review all of the damages. This is one of the most important steps. A lot of adjusters are very good at what they do and find all of the damage. However, some adjusters may not see every part of your home that has damage. Many times their estimates fall far short of our estimates! Sometimes it is simply oversight, but not always. The adjuster is basically the insurance company’s representative. If you don’t have a representative to make sure that nothing is being missed, you could be missing out on the full extent of the coverage from your policy.

Negotiating

What most people don’t realize is that this entire process is negotiable!!! Insurance company’s give their estimate, but it is just an estimate. If we provide our estimate and it is different, we then review the differences with them until we come to an agreement on what damages are being paid for, and for how much money.

So, if you have already had your insurance adjuster to your property and have their estimate in hand, we can come in after the fact and still negotiate on your behalf. Their estimate is not necessarily the final number. In most cases we can find mistakes, omitted items, and other ways to get you into a better position financially in regards to your claim.

An Example

I compare this entire process to going to court. If you had to go to court for something important, would you go without a lawyer? Probably not. Why? Because in the courtroom, a lawyer is the expert and it is his playing field.

Let’s assume that you got rear-ended in your car and you were injured, and the other driver’s insurance company quickly called you and offered you $10,000 for your injuries and pain and suffering. Someone without a lawyer may jump on that amount and take it. But, someone else may hire an attorney and go a different route. The attorney then negotiates on their behalf and he settles for $50,000. We all know this scenario because we have seen it a thousand times on TV.

Well, the same thing exists in damage to your home. Get properly represented so we can make sure that you get everything that is due to you for the storm damage to your property. Call one of our Storm Damage Experts!

When purchasing a new roof is on your to-do list it may seam like a daunting task. But don”t worry we are here to help. You can be assured that in working with Roofs R Us, you have made the right choice. You will get the highest quality workmanship, outstanding customer service and the peace of mind that comes with knowing you have made the right decision about your home improvement.